Coronavirus: Fewer reports for ‘non-essential trips’ this weekend

Last weekend, the police drew up fewer official reports for people making “non-essential” trips to the coast than the weekend before, according to several police zones from the West Flanders province.

Despite the decreasing number of non-essential trips, the police still had to intervene on several lockdown parties.

This weekend, police zone West Coast had to send back between 2% and 5% of drivers going to the coast, compared to 22% last weekend. Police zones Blankenberge/Zuienkere and Knokke-Heist/Damme also saw their number of reports for non-essential trips decreasing compared to the previous weekend.

“That is a good sign. Most people have understood that they’re not allowed to make non-essential movements,” said Ine Deburchgraeve of the West Coast police zone to De Morgen. “However, we have to fine people with a second residence at the coast on a regular basis,” she added.

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However, the police must still continue to intervene in various places for “lockdown parties” or gatherings. “There are still young people who have not understood, and continue to meet with a group of friends. That’s really not allowed,” said Deburchgraeve.

In Belgium’s capital, the Brussels/Ixelles police zone also sanctioned 682 breaches of the federal measures over the weekend, said spokesperson Ilse Van de keere to the Belga press agency.

Most of the breaches were against gatherings, hanging around in the parks, people leaving their homes for “non-essential reasons”, and not keeping the required 1.5m distance from each other.